Correct Chip Shot "Shank Prevention Know-How"

At Address: Maintain 'Lie Angle' Swing, Move Club Back and Forth, Strike Ball Below Center

When making a chip shot, it is important to maintain the lie angle.

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] It is a good time to play a round.

It is neither too hot nor too cold. However, the course conditions are not yet perfect. There are areas where the grass has not grown. For this reason, it is difficult to make the desired chip shots. To achieve a good score, precise play around the green is necessary. Above all, you must avoid shanks. A shank occurs when the ball hits the connection between the shaft and the club head. It happens when the distance between the ball and the club at address is either too close or too far.

It also occurs when there is a large difference between the backswing and downswing paths. It mainly appears when the grip moves in the hands. When a shank happens, players get flustered and lose confidence. The biggest problem is that shanks tend to occur consecutively. First, check the impact location using a launch monitor. 'The oldest major champion' Phil Mickelson and 'Golden Boy' Jordan Spieth (both from the United States) are well-known for their excellent short games on the PGA Tour.

Managing the interaction between the leading edge and the grass is important. Wedge experts achieve their goals by hitting the ball 17mm below the sweet spot. On the other hand, amateur golfers who shank hit the ball 23mm above the sweet spot. The strike point difference between wedge specialists and shankers is as much as 40mm. The lie angle is crucial. Players inexperienced in the short game tend to increase the club’s lie at impact, meaning they hit with a more upright clubface.

Conversely, excellent short game golfers maintain the lie angle they took at address. Golfers who shank have problems in their swing path. They hit the ball with an extreme in-to-out or out-to-in path. However, looking at Mickelson and Spieth, their clubs move straight back and forth. The method to prevent shanks is simple. Swing on a neutral plane, strike the ball below its center, and check that the sole hits the ground in the middle.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.